Co-CEO of CoastArts Association
Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Ross Creek Centre
Co-Founder of Two Planks and a Passion Theatre
chris@artscentre.ca

Ms. O’Neill is a professional actor and playwright who co-founded the organisation and was the driving push to build the Centre, acting as the fundraising and programming locus for the past ten years. She has taught writing and acting, served on both provincial and national boards of arts organisations as well as serving on community boards. She continues to work as a theatre artist, with four plays co-written with husband Ken Schwartz to her credit, along with many acting roles. She was most recently seen with Two Planks in Jerome: the Historical Spectacle, Our Town and was Athena in The Odyssey in 2007. She was awarded the Golden Jubilee Medal for contribution to her community and Canada in 2002.

Ken Schwartz

Co-CEO of CoastArts Association
Co-Founder of the Ross Creek Centre
Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Two Planks and a Passion
artisticdirectors@twoplanks.ca

Ken Schwartz is a co-founding artistic director of Two Planks and a Passion Theatre since 1992. A two-time graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Ken is an award-winning director, educator and dramaturge. He has directed over 30 productions for the company, including The Odyssey by Rick Chafe, Our Town by Thornton Wilder, Rockbound by Allen Cole and Jerome: the Historical Spectacle by Ami McKay. In 2009 he collected Merritt Awards for outstanding achievement in Nova Scotian theatre as both director and producer of Our Town. In 2008 he was awarded the Established Artist Recognition award by the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council and collected the Merritt Award as producer of The Odyssey. In 2003 he was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his contributions to the art form.

Elisha Harper

Accounts and management
accounts@artscentre.ca

Elisha rejoins us after a brief hiatus. She is a graduate of Acadia University. Welcome back!

Roxy Peterson

Camp and Education Director - education@artscentre.ca

Mr. Peterson was born and raised in London, Great Britain, and comes to us with honours in design and semiology studies from the London Metropolitan University. He has been involved with Summer Camping, youth and community work for 15 years in London GB, Franklin PA, and Okeechobee FL. He has lived in Canada for 2 and a half years and has worked for Ross Creek for 2 years as the Education Director and Camp Director, managing March Break, SummerArts Camp, Youth Art Enrichment programs, Positive Action Project, Anti-Bullying and the Ross Creek Youth Council among other things.

Ms. Schachter is a recent Queen’s graduate with a BA in Arts Education, and a Music Honours graduate from University of Toronto in Performance Harp. As an accomplished musician, Ms Schachter has performed as a professional musician throughout the country as soloist and piano accompanist.  She comes to Ross Creek from the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture in Dawson City, Yukon.

Melisa Szeto

Visitor Services
Box Office for Two Planks mail@twoplanks.ca
Visitor's Services for Ross Creek - mail@artscentre.ca

Property Manager and Set Man - property@artscentre.ca

Mr. McMahon is a carpenter, musician, and property manager. He was 18 years timber framing and was co-owner of a timber frame business, He has lived all over Canada, and came to Wolfville in 1972. He plays bodrahn in the Paddy’s Session Band. At Ross Creek he shares his years of experience prop and stage building with Two Planks and Passion Theatre, managing the 186 acres of field and forest, maintaining the building’s systems, and taking care of all the Centre’s building’s construction projects.

Mr. Weisner was born in Wolfville and spent most of his life in the Annapolis Valley. He attended the Culinary Institute of Canada (part of the Holland College Campus in PEI) where he earned a degree in Culinary Arts in 1997. In 2000 he moved to Banff AB for 5 years then to Calgary for another 3 years. He moved back to the valley in 2008 and is very happy to have found a job in the area and in such a positive environment with good people to work with.

Samantha Jessome

Communications Coordinator

Sammie will be joining us as our Communications Coordinator for the summer, on a coop placement from Mount Saint Vincent University.

The Creekster
Elusive bird-like creature living at Ross Creek that loves to play mischief and feather its nest with chocolate - waiting to be discovered by children, who can master the special "Ro-to-to-to-to" call! This picture was painted by Matt Jack of a snowman mysteriously appearing after a creekster sighting a few winters ago.